Friday, June 9, 2017

On deck

Hi everyone, and welcome to Friday!  It always feels good to make it through another week, doesn't it?  Even if you are off work--for whatever reason--Friday just always feels good.

Today I have another little finish to show!  I know I've had a roll of small finishes, but it feels good to get them out of the closet.  And with the kitchen currently in pieces it just feels good to have *something* finished.  So here's today's little finish:


I'm calling this little quilt On Deck, because that's where it's going to be used all summer.  It's about 30 inches square and fits the little table we have on our deck perfectly.  We used it out there for supper last night, actually, and then I had it out there for breakfast this morning.  We've never had a deck before, but we are loving it and I'm out there as often as I can be.  I'm actually writing this on the deck right now.  Really!



I found this little quilt in a box of clothes. Why was it in with the clothes?  Who knows?  I know I made it several years ago as part of a quilt group that I used to belong to, but I thought that I had given it away long ago.  Not really my colors or my favorite fabrics, but it looks good together.


When I found it in the box, it was already basted and had some ditch quilting in it.  Not a bad place to start!  All I did then was stitch some free-motion motifs in each square and then bind it to finish it off.


I thought the stitching would go quickly, but 4 hours later I was still at it.  In retrospect I should have chosen something more simple, but right now I need all the practice I can get.  The quilting is really imperfect, but by the time I stitched the last square it was getting a lot better.


I used a decorative stitch on the binding, which is a finish that Preeti and I saw on several quilts last weekend.  (More on that in a minute.)  It worked okay, but it did keep bunching up and wandering.  Those stitches are really meant for garments and the heaviness of the quilt really kept messing it up.  It also took a *lot* of thread.  I'm not sure that I would ever do it again.  I think if I wanted a decorative stitch I might stitch it on the binding itself and then stitch the binding to the quilt.


So there's our little deck quilt!  Don't worry, I'm bringing it in every time I come in, but it's nice just to have it out there.  Patio tables always need some dressing up, don't they?

In other fun news, last weekend I got to go to a quilt show with Preeti of Sew Preeti Quilts.  We had a great time!  Preeti had two quilts hanging in the show, and here she is with her beautiful Twitter Feed quilt:


This quilt is awesome in person and was a real hit.  As one of her friends said, people were "flocking" to it!  There were some other quilts too, but I didn't take other pictures.  And can you believe that we didn't buy a single thing?  There was just too much to see to spend time shopping!  It was a great day.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  We have some more home improvement work to do, and it may involve a paint sprayer.  This is sure to be comical, and it may mean takeout for supper.  Yay!


Sharing at Finished or Not Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and crazymomquilts.

14 comments:

Preeti said...

Not a flattering picture of me...but let's focus on the quilt :-D
Speaking of focus, it is difficult to focus on your blog - you post too quickly. I am breathless. Your patio, deck, the quilt (cannot believe you looked at the technique, remembered it, replicated it and finished it - PHEW), the pitcher, the blackberries make a perfect summer setting. Wish I was there with you sipping lemonade and co-designing patterns :-)
Hugs,
Preeti.

Jayne said...

It is a lot of fun finishing small projects! Sometimes we need a quick finish. Your quilt is wonderful and I love the name and why! Outdoor living spaces are important too!

Bernie Kringel said...

Yes, the finish is sweet. Especially with the bonus of already being basted and ditch-quilted. What a treat to just pick that up and add some FMQ. Project of that size are my favorites for practicing FMQ - big enough to play with but not hard to move through the machine.

Love the photo of Preeti. It is very sweet. Also love seeing your reflection in the pitcher on the table. :-)

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hi Mari,
First of all - Preeti, that is a great picture of you! I love the quilt, and I'm so glad you showed us how it looks on your table. I never think to do that. I love the setting - the marigolds, the deck - it just looks so peaceful and wonderful. You did a great job quilting it too! ~smile~
Roseanne

Jan @Cocoa Quilts said...

Very nice quilt. I like the decorative stitch on the binding. May have to get brave and try that sometime.

Goofin' Off Around the Block said...

That is a beautiful quilt finish. What fun it must have been to come upon this just waiting to be finished. I love that you are using it outdoors. Now I wish I had a nice back deck to have breakfast on. --Andrea

Jo said...

It's a great finish and even better that you are using it. I do like the colours. So good to see Yu had a great time at the show...

Danice G said...

Your quilt and Preeti's are both awesome. So colorful. Beautiful:)

Kate said...

Congrats on a very pretty finish. Sounds like you and Preeti had a wonderful time at the quilt show. Her birdy quilt is such fun.

Quiltdivajulie said...

Terrific post -- like the new table topper and I enjoyed reading about you and Preeti at the show.

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

That is a beautiful finish and I like seeing the birds ; so cute! :)

Sara said...

Your little quilt is very charming and perfect to cheer up a patio table for summer. The Twitter Feed quilt is a WOW!

JanineMarie said...

I do like how those fabrics go together in the quilt. It looks so elegant on your deck--love that "still life with berries" photo. I hope you have lots of opportunities to enjoy deck living this summer. In my opinion, you took a photo of the best quilt at the show. (I know I didn't see photos of any of the others, but I'm sure I'm right.) Cute picture of Preeti and her feathered friends.

Myra @ Busy Hands Quilts said...

Beautiful quilt for your deck dining! Thanks for linking to Finished or Not Friday!